JULY MEETING SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, ESSEX About 3.50 in the afternoon of the 25th May, 1940, a small rowing boat, with a man and a woman on board, capsized when they were changing seats about 400 yards off shore. They succeeded in reaching a boat moored about twenty yards away, and clung there until three men, who had put off from the shore in a rowing boat, rescued them. The weather was fine. - Rewards, 15s.

FOLKESTONE, KENT. About 8 in the evening of the 31st May, 1940, the R.A.F. reported that an aeroplane was in distress one mile S. by E. of Folkestone Railway Pier.

A motor boat belonging to the Southern Railway was sent out and searched for two hours, but found nothing. - Rewards, £1 5s.

SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. About 4.20 in the morning of the 4th June the coastguard reported that a Wellington bomber had sent out an SOS some twenty miles E. by N. of Scarborough. The weather was fine and the sea smooth.

The motor fishing boats Hyperion, with a crew of five, and Kingfisher, with a crew of four, put out, and an hour later it was learned that the aeroplane was safe. It was not possible to recall the boats, and they did not get back until 3 P.M., ten and a half hours after setting out. - Rewards, £9, with £4 for use of boats, and £3 for fuel used.

MARGATE, KENT. Early in the afternoon of the 9th June, 1940, the S.S. Empire Commerce had struck a mine, and the Margate life-boat and other vessels had brought in the survivors. The tug Plumer arrived at 5.30 P.M. with 13 on board and asked that a boat should come out to land them. Two of the life-boat crew put out in a rowing boat and brought them ashore in six trips. - Rewards, £1 10s.

(See Margate, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 83.)

MONTROSE, ANGUS. About 3 in the afternoon of the 13th June, 1940, two soldiers, members of a bathing party, got into difficulties one mile east of the harbour entrance.

The weather was fine, the tide low, and there was a light wind with no sea. A motor boat, manned by the life-boat coxswain and another man, at once put out, but the soldiers were drowned before the boat could reach them. - Rewards, £1 5s., and 2s. for fuel used.

HASTINGS, SUSSEX. At 4.25 in the morning of the 20th June, l940, a British aeroplane came down in the sea about three-quarters of a mile from Hastings Pier. The sea was calm and the weather clear. Police and others went out in three boats and rescued the five men of the crew a few minutes before the aeroplane sank. - Rewards, £2 10s.

(See Hastings, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 86.)

SEATON, DEVON. About 2.30 in the afternoon of the 20th June, 1940, a Fairey Battle.

aeroplane crashed into the sea about one and a half miles south of the River Axe.

The weather was fine, with a choppy sea. Three fishermen rowed quickly to the spot and rescued two airmen. The third had been jammed in the fuselage and had gone down with the aeroplane, which had sunk within a few minutes of crashing. - Rewards, £2 5s.

DUNBAR, EAST LOTHIAN. At half past ten on the morning of the 22nd June, 1940, the coastguard reported the naval patrol vessel Catronia at anchor a mile off the harbour, with engines broken down. Three men put off in the Institution’s dinghy.

They found that the vessel was awaiting another patrol vessel to tow her in. - Rewards, 15s.

PORTRUSH, Co. ANTRIM. About 6.45 in the evening of the 23rd June, 1940, information was received that a bather was in difficulties. A moderate W. wind was blowing, with a rough sea. Four men put out in a motor boat, but the bather was drowned before it could reach him. - Rewards, £2, and 8s. for fuel used.